Exits and Beginnings
by jimmoriartys
Summary: REUPLOADED. Emmett is leaving Hollyoaks, and everyone has to come to terms with this. Only, Kieron can't. Kimmett!fic, so if you don't like, don't read. Will be updated Friday 29th at the latest.


**Hey everyone, this is Rachael, some of you might know me from twitter as rachaelalice16. This is my first fanfic posted here, so please don't be too harsh, haha! This was written for Stendz_ on twitter. Now take note this isn't actually Stendan is is a Kieron and Emmett fic! So if you don't like please don't read. You have been duly warned and nobody likes flamers. Anyway if you want read on and enjoy! This will have two parts.**

To put it bluntly, the place was bouncing. Laughter and shouts from a heaving crowd (_must have been more than two hundred_, Kieron idly thought) filled the air, accompanied by the clink of champagne flutes. The place itself was certainly dressed up for a celebration, lavish and gold and spacious. Kieron could see Jorgie's blonde head bobbing excitedly as she giggled with that tall lad from the production team she always fluttered around at work whenever she got a coffee break. A short distance away from her he could see the entire make up team, drinking brightly coloured shots like there was no tomorrow.

_Seems like absolutely everyone but me's in a flippin' party mood_, Kieron thought glumly as he stood in the corner, leaning against a white pillar whilst sipping at his mojito. He knew he should plaster on his big fucking Kieron Richardson smile and socialise, mingle until the fake feelings became real, but he found he couldn't quite bring himself to. And he knew all too well why; he'd been staring all night at said reason.

Emmett looked good, Kieron registered. He always did. He knew from the start he always fancied Emmett a bit. How could he not? Tall, dark and handsome was never a negative, and he ticked every single box. In the past all he had ever resigned this to was an admitted physical crush: but just a strong friendship in reality. He couldn't pinpoint when, but he knew that his feelings at some point had morphed into something a whole lot more dangerous. He quickly started finding Emmett's constant teasing and crude jokes more than hilarious, and his cockiness endearing rather than annoying, and instead of envying Emmett's muscled, strong physique, he felt-

Kieron cut off his thoughts with a sharp internal reprimand (_behave and stop bein' stupid_) and drained his cocktail, becoming more aware of others and their curious glances. He directed his eyes firmly away from Emmett, stood with a large group, laughing hard. He took a deep breath, put on his biggest grin and stalked up to the bar for another drink. _God knows I need one_, he thought wryly, and turned in his stool for a chat to Jessla Fox as the barman prepared his cocktail.

If he had just lingered to stare another moment he would have noticed dark blue eyes upon him from a distance. Emmett's eyes were turbulent with emotion as his brows creased, a frown marring his face.

Three hours later and Kieron was undeniably drunk. "Wasted as hell," as Jorgie put it, though as she was actually stumbling at only eleven o'clock, nobody put too much stock in her opinion. Kieron felt on top of the world, grinning to himself as he downed another shot, cheered on by the lads and high fived at the end. He was just stood when a bloke he didn't quite recognise, but thought he recognised from somewhere on the production team, tapped him on the shoulder and faced him.

"Fancy a dance, Kieron?" the bloke asked with a smile and Kieron eyed him up. _Seems like a nice enough lad. And decent looking too. Brown hair, nice eyes. Not as fit as Emmett, though-_

He cut his own thoughts off by smiling tightly and holding out his hand. "Sure, mate, lead the way." They got as far as three steps before the shuting off of music and the booming of a microphone caused Kieron to pause sharply.

"Everyone having a good time?" Emmett drawled, his Irish accent thicker with just the right amount of drink, and Kieron turned towards the sound as everyone else in the busy room whooped and laughed. Emmett was stood on the DJ booth, in those slim fit trousers and tight dark blue shirt Kieron had been cursing when he was sober, commandeering all attention with his words and physical presence. "Listen up, it's time. I've loved having this tash, as much as it makes me look like one of the bloody Village People," (everyone roared with laughter). "However, in saying goodbye to Brendan Brady once and for all, I'm getting rid of the God damn thing with the help of my good friends Bronagh and Kieron. Now come up, you pair of drunken scallies."

Kieron cracks a grin as everyone else cackles and with only a mumbled 'sorreh' to the guy he was with he makes his way over to where Emmett is sitting, next to the DJ booth. Bronagh is already hovering over him, holding a shaving razor shakily and giggling with drunkness. Kieron is too wrapped up in his thoughts to appreciate her new red head look as his smile drops for a split second whilst Bronagh starts shaving and the mass of people surrounding him cheer them on. He zones out of the moment; this little thing, Emmett shaving off his tash, sharply makes the reality of his departure from the show properly sink in to Kieron's head. Of him inevitably drifting apart from Kieron.

Everyone laughs, bringing Kieron back into the moment as Emmett mocks Bronagh jokingly for her multiple attempts and she argues back in jest, finally shaving half of it with success. "Suppose it's my turn now int it," Kieron says, struggling to look into Emmett's eyes, though his smile stays fixed in place.

"Yeah it is, and if you don't do better than Bronagh, I'll be ashamed of ye, drunk or no," Emmett laughed, eyes glinting.

Kieron couldn't help his blush as he was handed a razor by Bronagh, positioning it in place. "I wouldn't know Emmett, would I? Not my fault I can't grow a flippin' YMCA tash like yours," he teased back, his cloud of gloom momentarily lifted by the banter.

When it was over, Kieron stepped back and everyone catcalled and yelled giddily, but Kieron didn't share their joyful sentiment. Kieron's insant registering of just how hot Emmett looked without his tash was completely overrided by, again, the reality of the situation. Now there really was nothing physical left of Emmett being in the show at all.

It was all really over. Which inevitably meant to Kieron that his friendship with Emmett would soon be really over. They would soon drift apart, going their separate ways, and Kieron out of shame and worry for his feelings about a straight man would let that happen. Even though the very thought hurt him to the core inside.

He carried on his Kieron Richardson mask for everyone, laughing until the moment was over and he made his excuses, heading towards the bathroom.

As soon as he entered the bathroom, his smile dropped and he leaned on the counter, his head in his hands, wondering when everything got so complicated. _Oh yeah_, he thought despondently, when Emmett Scanlan walked into my life and I was stupid enough to fall in love with _the perfect twat. When I got so comfortable with him being around and started thinking about him so much that I nearly dropped being professional and remembering I was ACTING when we kissed while filming. When I nearly broke down in tears filming his exit scenes because despite feeling the 'orrible pain of the characters, it looked like Emmett almost dying in the fucking street and not his character. When I started crying in this stupid bathroom just over shaving his flipping tash of all things!_

Kieron couldn't help his sniffles as a tear rolled down his cheek. He schooled his face into something he thought might have a shot in hell of looking calm, and took his head out of his hands to see Emmett standing next to and behind him in the mirror, staring at him.

He jolted. "What ya doin' Emmett, sneaking up on me like that?" He rubbed at his eyes quickly, as he turned to face Emmett, feeling more vulnerable just looking through the mirror.

Emmett's eyes traced his face, studying him, some emotion clouding them that Kieron was too worked up to decipher. "I've just come in now ... Kieron, are ye okay? Ye've been a little off all night, has something happened?"

Kieron snorted. "You could say that ... it's just me bein' an idiot, really."

This didn't placate Emmett; Kieron should have known it wouldn't, he looked out for his friends always no matter what jokey image he used as a front. The man frowned and stepped closer. "Ye're in tears, something's obviously upset ye bad. Let me-"

"Look, I'm just a bit too drunk, aren't I?" Kieron interrupted desperately. He couldn't meet those concerned dark blue eyes; he didn't know what he'd do. He focused his red rimmed eyes on the posh granite surface of the counter he was leaning on. "Just a bit too much alcohol in me. I might go up now to sleep it off yeah? It's nearly twelve now anyway, that's not that bad."

He tried to move out of the way, avoiding Emmett's gaze, but as he moved he felt Emmett's hand wrap momentarily around his wrist and he froze in place.

Emmett let go once it was clear Kieron was going to stand still. "Look, I'll walk ye up, okay?" Kieron turned to Emmett and was about to protest when Emmet hushed him and smiled. "Ye're drunk. I'm helping ye up to your room. Someone has to. Ye'd probably end up in a cupboard snoring away if I didn't."

Kieron cracked a smile in return. It felt weaker yet somehow a little more real than all the smiles of that night. "Okay then, lead the way."


End file.
